Lightning was able to shrug off the attack, even though her wound was still bleeding, fairly easily. It certainly was not as powerful as the assault which had knocked her into the air earlier. Besides, with Terra's healing closing the wound just as much if not more quickly then it was bleeding she had nothing to worry about. Moving around to the other side of the creature, Lightning raised her gunblade and fired off two bullets.

"You too." Lightning said with a nod in the Actor's direction. Terra nodded back before rushing over to the large creature; with Lightning's magic working on it he would be able to do something.

Terra moves to K7!

A quick slash of the saber followed with an even faster thrust in the beast's direction. He was not sure if the beast had been lucky enough to dodge his attacks, but if they hit the magic surely made them more powerful. "Shouldn't be much longer, Alyssia!" Terra called to his ally who was off pulling the final lever.

{V} - Vortex (cannot be occupied)Trigger Command: Complete the Puzzle (Entering the vortex marks the end of the trial. Range: Adjacent cell.)

{-} - Locked Lever (cannot be occupied)

{w} - Wall (cannot be occupied)

Alyssia moves to C2.

Alyssia uses Trigger Command: Complete the Puzzle!

Alyssia flew out of the room and stopped momentarily by the pedestal to watch as the mighty beast fell under the barrage of attacks launched upon it. Not wasting much time, she cracked a smile and surged along the corridor, cutting around the next wall to enter the upper left room where she was met by a large white vortex. Just like the others, the destination was not revealed within. It would be a mystery. "Well, here we go," she said to herself, taking a step inside and waiting for the inevitable.

As soon as Alyssia had stepped into the vortex, everything in the chamber seemed to melt into a sheer expanse of nothingness while the Cerberus, Lightning, and Terra were sucked into the vortex which promptly closed after they had been enveloped by it. The party tumbled through a new expanse before coming to a stop, their feet touching solid ground just like before. They were in another chamber, but this one was different from the rest. Everyone was standing on a large bridge spanning what seemed to be a horrid descent should one fall over the edge. Many pipes could be seen above going in every direction, connected in odd ways and glowing with a strange runic text. In the center of a cage of pipes directly in the center of the chamber was a large pink stone that somewhat resembled a human heart. It wasn't beating, but pipes were connected to it and strange wires were glowing with an orange color as it was fueled with what must have been some kind of energy.

Alyssia took a few steps forward, admiring the odd chamber, but flinched as a blast of pink light surged into existence at the center of the bridge. "The courageous heart cries out for more power." A powerful, male voice was emanating from the center of what appeared to be a pink crystal rose that had formed out of the blast of light from before. "In Valhalla, it is the strong that rules over the weak. Complete domination." The crystal shattered and an impressive figure was seen standing amidst the shards that seemed to float in the air, frozen in time. It was a humanoid being that not only wore stunning armor, but appeared to be completely made out of it. It held a weapon in one hand which seemed to be two shorter swords hooked together, their blades curved like hooks. On the other arm was a large shield. Its hardened gaze seemed to be focused on Lightning.

"Can you grasp power and control it? Can you truly carve your own path through destiny...or will you fall to the ground to be a puppet for those who possess true strength? Come. We shall see for ourselves."

Alyssia took a few steps back, startled by the appearance of this foe. What was he after? Was this all another trial? "Guys, be careful..." she warned in a voice that she found much too small for her tastes. She felt intimidated for the first time in a long time.

Lightning stayed back just a bit until the flash of light poured over them revealing a large man comprised of armor. Was this another trial for them? It certainly did not seem like something that belonged inside the tower. And even stranger it seemed... familiar for lack of a better word. Almost as if the soldier knew this humanoid creature, despite having no recollection of ever seeing it before in her life.

"I do carve my own fate." Lightning muttered as she readied herself for battle, blade in hand only moments later. "And not just myself," Lightning said a little louder, "but all of use. We carve our own fate." With that said, she raised her blade to get a better stance. Though their foe was intimidating, she was ready to face it; alone she might not have been so sure but that was the beauty of fighting with allies. Together, nothing can stop you.

Terra, on the other hand, was shaking. Though the man-creature's gaze fell on Lightning, he felt as if it was cutting into him. The man's impressive size and weapons alone made him worry about their odds in this battle. Sure, the light was strong, but could they fight something that talked of domination of the weak? They were powerful as a group, that had been proven over time, but were they strong enough to take this thing down? Terra was not sure, but if the others were going to try he would to. He would not give up until they did, though he knew that might never happen.

"Lightning's right! We've been carving our own paths so far, and I don't see that coming to a halt anytime soon, big shot!" Alyssia shouted in retaliation. She could still feel her form trembling a bit, but she couldn't afford to look weak in the face of this being. Waving a hand through the air, she felt a peaceful breeze surround her to form a barrier of sorts. Apprehension was an understatement in regards to the feelings she had about actually getting attacked by the thing. Its weapons seemed to gleam with a dangerous light. Hailing from a land where the strong dominate the weak...something told Alyssia that this being wasn't one for being subjugated. "Ugh, we're going to have one hell of a fight on our hands," she muttered to herself, entering a more suitable stance before lifting off the ground a bit and jetting forward, touching down when she was right next to the being. She looked up at it challengingly and readied herself for whatever was to come.

Alyssia moves to G6.

Cerberus moves to I5.

Cerberus waits.

Cerberus wasn't fond of how reckless Alyssia was being, even if she had taken the time to properly defend herself. In the end he figured that whether she had moved forward or not wouldn't have mattered. The being was sure to engage them regardless. Taking a few steps forward, Cerberus waited silently to provide backup for Alyssia as needed. This battle would require at least a bit of tactics, for this was something they had never faced before. What Cerberus failed to understand was how out of place this being seemed to be in this place. Where had it come from again? Valhalla? It sounded at least somewhat familiar, but Cerberus definitely couldn't place it. He had probably heard it in the lore spread around Hell. He would worry about it later; they had a fight on their hands now and it would be best to pay attention.

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Lightning mentally smiled as Alyssia seemed encouraged by her little speech, hopefully it had the same effect with her other allies. Pointing the blade away from the creature and towards herself, Lightning quickly took on a more defensive position. A wave of mana washed over her, followed by more power boosting mana which would not be the most help for her new form but would help all the same.

"Don't worry everyone!" she called out to her allies, thrusting her free hand in all of their directions. Instantly a wave of powerful mana surrounded all of them, creating a barrier around those without and strengthening the one Alyssia had conjured. It would not protect them from everything, but would hopefully lessen the damage from the assaults this thing could likely dish out.

Lightning casts Fringeward on the Ally Party! -15% All Damage Taken for Five Turns!

With that done she dashed forward herself, they would need all of their strength to take the knight down; sticking behind would be like withholding their power.

Lightning moves to J6!

Terra was still shaking. Even though his allies had created barriers, he was afraid of moving forward. This foe of theirs was intimidating to say the least, and he was unsure if he could even put a dent in him. He did not even have to think it over to know a physical assault against the knight would do little more than scratch the armor. Maybe.

"Support it is..." Terra murmured as he raised his blade high into the air. Closing his eyes he brought the blade down and spoke quickly, though whether he just wanted to get it out or was afraid to mess up his words was uncertain. "Light strengthen before me! Keep us standing so we may still be of use to you!" his breathing was shaky after he said it, his trembling that much worse as he stayed put in his corner. The spell, however, worked; their barriers being surrounded by powerful shells of light that would keep them all safe.

"There is a fine line between courage and stupidity. Be aware of this line as you continue on your paths--the ones you proclaim to carve yourself," the being spoke simply without even a tinge of condescension. He was genuinely giving them advice, granted that didn't mean much as he brought one of the curved blades down to strike Alyssia only to miss, quickly twisting the handle to strike with the other blade in an upwards slash that did manage to connect. The being was unperturbed and still held its ground. There wasn't even a single trace of fear coming from it. It was in complete control.

"You think me rushing you was stupid? It's not even courage; it's more like confidence in my friends here," Alyssia shot back, gesturing to her companions. "As long as they've got my back, I feel like I can do the impossible. Capiche?" Alyssia slashed the air with her blade causing the ground to tremble slightly as the seal she focused on broke. Four large pointed bones shot out of the ground around her and floated in the airspace surrounding her, following the motions of her blade while constantly poised to strike. With so many barriers protecting her, she felt much more at ease about confronting the being directly. I still vote this to be the oddest trial yet...

Alyssia waits.

Cerberus moves to F5.

Cerberus bounded forth in an instant and skidded to a halt next to the being. Jaws snapping, the beast set about biting into the armored thing with questionable success. Cerberus had bitten into machines before, but this thing seemed much different than the relics they had fought before in terms of the material. There was no doubt that this being was made out of a material he probably never encountered before. Whatever it was, it wasn't normal. Keeping his form braced, he bared his fangs at it, hoping to intimidate it, granted that probably wasn't going to work. The main thing Cerberus wished to show was that he wasn't going to back down.

Cerberus attacks Odin! 4 hits! 18 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

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Lightning quickly jumped forward, landing just a bit behind Cerberus so as to draw the creatures attention toward her side. Of all of their allies, Terra had not moved and did not seem to want to get very close to the armored figure. She could not blame him, he was intimidating, but allowing him to know that would not help. So if causing him to attack the opposite end of the bridge helped the Actor get over his fears, that is what she would do. Swiftly her blade was raised and compressed and two bullets fired before the blade returned to its usual form.

Lightning attacks Odin! 2 Hits! 24 Atk Damage per Hit!

Terra moves to K6!

Watching his allies rush forward and seem unfazed eased Terra's worries only slightly. "I hope we can do this..." he murmured, moving from his corner and over to the middle of the bridge. Taking in a big gulp of air the Actor raised his saber and spun around before thrusting his blade forward. A large gush of water surged towards the armored figure and began to push it backwards; whether he moved or not remained to be seen.

"The power of the collective--it cannot be underestimated." Odin raised his shield causing a surge of light pink energy to wash over him which seemed to crystallize before fading from existence. "I shall tell you. I am Odin, valiant warrior and guardian of Valhalla--a servant of the Goddess Etro. My power is the greatest in the realm of Valhalla. To those who call out to me, I appear. To those that manage to prove themselves to me, I grant unimaginable strength." His vision instantly turned to face Lightning and he raised a finger to point at her. "It is your heart that called to me. Deep inside, more power you wish to grasp for noble reasons--reasons worthy of my strength. Do not lose your resolve and perhaps you will walk away with something beyond mortal value." It was then that his head turned to face Alyssia. Streams of a dark crimson energy surged out around him and he shot forth suddenly, his path seemingly tearing the air apart. His blade clashed with Alyssia causing a burst of rose petals to fly into the air on impact. He could be seen crouched over right behind Alyssia, holding his weapon out. Standing up, he faced Terra, leering at him with an unrelenting gaze.

"Damn, that....didn't smart as much as I thought it would," Alyssia cringed at first as she clutched her wound, slowly standing up straight so she could inspect it only to find that there was hardly anything there. "So you're Odin, huh? I think I might have heard about you down in Hell. There's a lot of lore covering Valhalla and such. Still, that doesn't mean anything to me," she said sharply and turned on her heel, lashing out at Odin with a couple of slashes from her blade while the bones pierced and struck at the warrior as fiercely as they could. They pulled back and hovered stoically around Alyssia, but one of course crumbled to dust. With each strike, she could feel her stamina recovering--her wound completely healing up due to her body absorbing the sheer force of her blows.

So that's where he was from! It was Odin after all. That was definitely not a figure Cerberus was expecting to see here in Amoria of all places. Yet here he was. Closing all six of his eyes, Cerberus allowed the thin veil of shadows surrounding him to leak down into the ground forming a large pool that spread outwards. He breathed calmly before all of his eyes shot open in time to watch spikes of concentrated darkness shoot out of the pool that had extended to a point where Odin was standing in it. With only one target to strike, every single spike thrust upwards to assault Odin. Even if the attack was taxing in terms of mana, at least it would deal suitable damage while they were all adequately protected.

Cerberus waits.

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So this Odin was moveable, a discovery that would have relieved some tension in the Actor's shoulders had the armored figure not leered at him. Even though Alyssia seemed for the most part unaffected by the attack the thing had delivered, Terra could not help but shake. His involuntary movement was made even worse as he felt his mana running dangerously low, so low that only one of his moves were available; one that required him to get dangerously close to their enemy. "No way." he whispered to himself, stepping back into his corner as if that would keep him from being the target of Odin's next attack.

Terra moves to K7!

Now back in his corner, Terra still shook uncontrollably and looked from side to side just a bit. There was nothing else he could do at the moment that would be of any use to his allies, not with how low his mana was. Decision hastily made, the Actor dug into a pocket of his costume and retrieved a small shard of crystalized mana and pressed it to his sword hand. Instantly his mana refilled just a tad and he had enough to at least do something other than a weak attack.

Terra uses a Mana Shard on himself! +5 Mp!

Lightning nodded just a bit at the figure's explanation. Odin was here because she unconsciously called for him; the very idea made the back of her head hurt just a bit. It was so very familiar, and yet she could not figure why. Shaking her head, she raised her blade once more and this time slashed at the armored figure twice.

Stating nothing more, Odin navigated himself around Alyssia and turned to face the trio that now stood before him. He advanced upon them with his blades flashing outwards, expert swordplay managing to strike each and everyone one of them several times before the divine being stepped back, readying himself for counterattacks from his opponents.

Odin's skill with his bladed weapon was definitely impressive, but thanks to the sheer amount of magical protection bestowed upon her, Alyssia hardly felt anything at all. She wasn't about to laugh in the being's face about it though. She knew that he was tough, and she was determined not to take the extra defenses for granted. She laid into Odin with a couple more sword slashes while her remaining bones rushed in from the sides to pierce him, retracting once more only to have another crumble to dust. She could feel the stamina returning to her body from her sheer power, but she knew it would take a lot more to actually fell this opponent. They all just had to remain adamant and victory would eventually be theirs.

Alyssia waits.

R-Ability Shade Reflex activates! [All damage taken -1%]

Cerberus uses Mana Shard on himself! [+5 MP Recovered]

Cerberus's attack depleted a lot of mana from his reservoir, and something told him that it would probably be useful to at least have access to the same attack later on. Digging into his fur, one of his heads managed to retrieve a small shard. Downing it, he felt a little bit of usable mana return to him and he was satisfied. Now he had to make sure to save it all for when the moment was right to lash out again. For the moment, he would stick to the basics.

Cerberus waits.

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As the divine being repositioned himself so that he was in range of the Actor, the boy quickly propelled himself to the other side of the bridge. He would not be able to keep running back and forth for long; the armored man would be able to reach him eventually. The shields of light he had summoned fading did not help make him feel any better at that thought. "Put them up next..." Terra thought to himself as he bathed in heavenly light to increase his defenses.

"We could use some help..." Lightning thought aloud, mostly to herself as the shields of light faded upon the knight's attack. With less protection from the rather brutal attacks, they could use something to move the battle along. It was a long shot, but if what she had in mind succeeded things would be easier for all of them.

Lightning shifts to Saboteur! Lightning's Power-Shift refreshes!

With a wave of mana washing over her, Lightning quickly began charging debilitating mana through her blade. It was not going to do too much for them if it failed, but it would help either way. Thrusting her blade in Odin's direction a burst of mana flew at the man and started to chip away at his body/armor.

Odin shrugged off the damage easily enough, though he was definitely aware of his ailment. Ignoring it for now, he sought retribution against the one who had inflicted it--Lightning. His blades flashed through the air twice as they connected with the female soldier. He was intent to see if this woman's versatility knew no bounds, for she was certainly full of surprises.

Alyssia felt an unbelievable drain on her strength after her last assault upon Odin. What kind of foul magic was affecting her now? Lightning had been able to give them all an opening to attack with her saboteur magic, but now Alyssia was right back to where she was before. Growling, she rushed after Odin, coming to a halt and slashing him twice before her two bones pierced into the being, one crumbling away after the attack. "Cerberus, don't waste this chance," she called out to her partner who was already way ahead of her.

Alyssia attacks Odin! 4 hits! 9 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Cerberus moves to D6.

Cerberus attacks Odin! 4 hits! 18 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Not now. Cerberus was going to save his actual skill until the magic wearing down Odin's defenses was just about to wear off. For now, he'd stick with the fundamentals. Bounding up next to the mighty being, Cerberus began to bite into the material it was made of which certainly didn't do anything for the beast's fangs. He was lucky to have them reinforced with the iron bear traps so that things weren't so harsh on him. He wasn't an evasive creature, so he just braced his muscular form for a possible counterattack. It seemed Odin's moves had a way of hitting things in a wide area, so that was definitely something to keep in mind.

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Lightning shrugged off the attacks the divine knight made towards her fairly easily; her mana was still protecting her, but its effects would not last long. With her saboteur magic debilitating Odin, though, she could not afford to waste a turn reinforcing it. Quickly she raised her gunblade and made two shots, hopefully hitting the gargantuan figure. Taking it down was the most important thing at the moment.

Utilizing the excess mana that pooled around him, Terra called forth the light once more, smiling as the barriers formed around his allies. Now they could more easily take care of this Odin and hopefully would not die in the process. "Be careful everyone!" the Actor called out, at the moment unsure of whether or not to move forward. In the end he lowered his saber, figuring that getting closer would not help him stay standing. If the knight got closer he would likely change his mind, but until then... no.

Dark crimson energy swarmed about Odin's form and he lunged through Alyssia in order to hit his primary target--Lightning. A burst of rose petals filled the air as the being appeared behind the woman that had called him. "Such strength," Odin said as he turned suddenly, lashing out at Lightning with his blades before assuming a more defensive stance. "Will the guardian of Valhalla really be defeated this day? I wonder..." he mused to himself, glaring down at Lightning with immense ferocity mixed with curiosity.

Holding out her blade, Alyssia watched as streams of dark energy began swirling around the length before reaching the tip where the energy congregated into a decent-sized sphere. She fired the thing like a gun and watched as the projectile whizzed past Lightning and hopefully struck the being that was assaulting the woman. "I'm pretty much useless and I wanted to try that out anyway," Alyssia said aloud with a shrug of her shoulders before pretending to blow imaginary smoke off the tip of her blade. She could still feel the physical atrophy that Odin had afflicted with her. She didn't know what caused it; it must have just been some sort of magical cloak he had or something that weakened attackers when they attacked. How fun.

Now was the time. Odin was getting farther away and his chance to strike was fading. Pounding forward, the shadowy mist clinging to Cerberus's form began to surge into the ground forming a large pool that quickly expanded outwards until Odin was standing in it. Spike after spike of darkness plunged up from the depths, attempting to stab Odin again and again. Cerberus could only hope that his attack was accurate enough to really lay some hurt on the divine being.

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Lightning raised her blade and slashed at the armored individual despite feeling the affects of his weakening magic. She knew that no matter doing even a slight amount of damage was required, it was the only way that they could possibly win. However as she finished her assault, she noticed Cerberus launching a powerful attack, one which would likely leave Odin on his last legs. It was then that her gaze quickly transferred to the Actor who had been avoiding combat. "Terra, get in there!" she commanded.

Terra shook a bit as the armored knight got even closer to him, almost so that he was in range of attack. But before he could react to it in any other way, Lightning's voice reached him, commanding him to take charge. It was only after he nodded and got moving that he realized why he was needed so badly.

Terra moves to J7!

"Go on!" Lightning responded upon his stopping, causing the Actor to just nod striking the armored figure several times rapidly. Finishing up just as the last of Cerberus' dark spikes impaled the man.

The blade of death is stilled no longer! Into the throes of chaos for the souls of the weak! Odin unleashes the terror that is Zantetsuken upon all enemies! 18 Piercing Dmg! [Alyssia evades Instant Death][Cerberus evades Instant Death][Lightning evades Instant Death][Terra evades Instant Death]

Odin had been forced to one knee due to all of the relentless attacks of his adversaries. Their strength and resolve was truly admirable, but they had not done away with him. One stray spike has missed the mark, and now he was able to stand tall once more, even at the brink of defeat. "My power is all but yours for the taking, but you have one more trial that you must face," Odin said as he crouched and then leaped into the air, gracefully spinning with his blades outstretched. Flashes of light could be seen below, and when he landed perfectly upon the platform, a burst of rose petals surged outwards in all directions as slashes and cuts appeared suddenly on his foes, but to his dismay, each and every one of them was still standing. This was probably for the best. It meant that they truly could put his power to good use. He faced Lightning and gave her a nod of affirmation...and of trust. She would know what to do in her heart.

Slashing the air with his weapon, the flow of time seemed to distort madly, the air wavering eerily. The ticking of clocks could be heard faintly, but soon ceased their noise-making. Alyssia, Cerberus, and Terra had been completely frozen in time. Only Lightning was left.

One of Cerberus' spikes out of place allowed for the knight of Valhalla to remain standing despite the punishment. What came next could only be described as fitting; one final and most powerful attack that ultimately failed to finish the party off. The sequence of events that came afterwards little more than negligible details. Though the rest of her allies were frozen in time by Odin's strange tampering, Lightning felt a certain resonance inside that it was unimportant. Rather, what was about to happen, was important. Very.

Receiving a nod of affirmation and trust from the knight, Lightning responded to it with a similar nod of her own. The gunblade in hand was lowered and compressed back into its nonactive form and she slid it into its holster. Another nod towards the large knight and Lightning straightened her form, eyes closed for a moment with a single intake of air. "Let's go then." she stated, her voice quiet but powerful; the sensation from earlier growing to twice the power it had earlier. Her readiness expressed, she watched Odin's reaction.

Time began to return to normal, no longer distorted by Odin's presence, though the powerful being was definitely still around. Into the air he leaped once again, though this time, it was not to unleash a dreadful attack, but to twist and reform into a majestic, otherworldly steed. His dual blades separated into two weapons and fell into the bridge, embedding themselves in it. Rose petals seemed to rain down gently from above as Odin's new form trotted closer to Lightning.

Alyssia shook her head. Being frozen in time had left her in a bit of a daze, but all she knew was that the strong aroma of roses was threatening to knock her out. She looked at the horse, and then at Lightning. It seemed Cerberus had less of a problem than she did in shaking herself out of her stupor and already returned to the realm of shadows. "Does this mean that we won? Odin locked us all away in time didn't he?" Alyssia asked aloud, clearly confused. Things weren't exactly adding up to how they should be at the moment.

Lightning, bolster your skill by a bit more, and you shall be able to summon me to your side, Odin's voice sounded through the woman's mind. Do you understand?

Odin has been defeated! His power is now accessible! [Gain 1 Skill Point in order to be able to unleash Odin in battle]

Lightning ignored her ally for the moment to properly take in the image of Odin now in the form of a horse. When his voice rang out in her mind she nodded, a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "Understood." she said quietly, giving another nod of affirmation towards the sentient being before turning to face her allies. They had all be trapped in time for quite a bit of time but now they were freed from their eternal imprisonment. "We won." Lightning confirmed, the smallest of smiles forming on her face. "And it seems we have a new ally in the future." she added, her gaze falling on Odin once more.

Terra had been very confused and felt almost drunk when the rest of the party was brought back to the normal flow of time. However he regained his composure fairly easily, lowering his weapon as he saw the battle was done. When Lightning announced that they had indeed won this one, and even gained a powerful new ally, his blade returned to its sheathe. "That's very fortunate." the actor interjected with a rather large smile.

Suddenly, jagged pieces of pinkish crystal enveloped Odin's entire form and miniaturized before completely disappearing. The rain of rose petals stopped and a vortex of light appeared before them at the opposite end of the bridge. There was no telling where it would lead the group, for it only showed nothing but white expanse just as the portals before had. Regardless, it was their only way out, so the only option was to go through and see where it led. With Odin on their side, the group proceeded onwards, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would reach the top of the tower at long last.

The area grew rather cool as the portal led out into what appeared to be some woodlands. The group found themselves hidden behind some trees in some unknown forest with a clearing right in front of them that led to a cliff. It was night out, and an enormous full moon rested in a perfect view out in the sky beyond the cliff, the numerous stars amidst the black offering it company as it sat, bathing everything in its ghostly light. A breeze caused the leaves of the trees to rustle gently. Standing near the cliff edge was a large, muscled man with a tight beige shirt and gray pants held up with black suspenders. On his back was an enormous greatsword with an eloquent silver hand that resembled jagged rocks while the blade itself was made of a beautiful purple gemstone. His hair was somewhat short and spiked, and it was also the same color as his blade oddly enough.

Standing behind him in the clearing was a tall girl wearing a solid white, hooded traveler's cloak and purples gloves that seemed to be stained with..blood? It was hard to tell. What wasn't difficult to see were the cuts on her face. She had large, violet eyes that were quite beautiful and long, tame jet black hair. In one hand she carried a really odd doll that was practically beyond creepy. In the other hand, she carried a scythe, the shaft made of a light-colored wood while the polished blade held a light reddish tint.

"So you killed them all didn't you?" the man said suddenly, a trace of a smirk cross his face. His voice was deep and tinted with amusement. He didn't turn around to face the girl, but instead just kept his eyes on the moon in front of him.

"I-I had to....I couldn't let them imprison me while you were left to roam free," the girl said suddenly, hugging her creepy doll tightly.

"It's not my fault you went crazy and killed half the town," the man shot back at her lightly with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"Yes it is!" she shouted. "It's because you....you! HOW COULD YOU?! They were....they were our allies--our friends! And you just butchered them..."

"Heh heh, you mean your allies and your friends? Because they were just pawns to me. Always were. I needed them to make you flip out the way you did. And boy was that sweet," he said with a laugh. "The look on your face. The way you painted that town red with blood. It was all so priceless, and I couldn't give a shit about any of it," he said more loudly, firing off a mocking laugh into the night, but wound up doubling over and coughing up something into his hand. From the group's position, they could barely tell that it was blood.

The girl tilted her head cockily. "Still wounded from our last skirmish, Amethyst? Should have known you couldn't handle me...not after what I did. You dug your own grave, you foolish and evil man," she said, shaking her head before taking her doll and stuffing it into her robes so that its head was peeking out at the man, apparently named Amethyst, from the neck hole of the robes. She took her scythe in both hands and spread her feet apart.

"Should have figured it'd end like this, but damn, I've been stirring up trouble for a long time. Just don't forget you've got blood on your hands too, babe," Amethyst said, finally turning around to face her. He had tired, hazel eyes and his face was rather rugged and handsome. He flashed the girl a dazzling smile, but he was missing a few teeth. Upon closer inspection, he had some bruises around his mouth and on his cheeks.

"I've already got a plan for that," the girl said, casting a sidelong gaze into the trees before returning it to Amethyst. "It's over at long last." She charged the man, and he made no effort to dodge her as her scythe tore through his neck with ease, severing his head from his body. The head rolled through the grass, an amused look frozen on its face forever as blood sprayed up out of the body like a fountain before crumpling to the ground. The girl stumbled back a bit before collapsing to her knees, tears pouring forth from her eyes. "What plan?" she sighed, looking up out over the moon. "Storm the heavens with my anguish and force Torcrea himself to cleanse my hands of blood." She stood up. "That's what I'll do." Her free hand clenched into a fist.

Back behind the trees, the group had remained transfixed by the transpiring events, unable to intervene. Alyssia suddenly felt unconstrained and a look of alarm crossed her face as she turned to the others. "What the hell is all of this?" she asked them futilely, for it was likely that none of them knew the answer either. "I'm really not liking the sound of what she's talking about," she said, keeping her voice hushed while obscurely gesturing to the woman in the clearing. "What do we do?"

The second they were free of whatever power held them in place to watch the events that passed between the woman and man, Terra felt a huge amount of desperation well in his chest and throat. Talk of slaughter, using people as pawns, the killing of the man, the woman's new objective, it was all a little too much for the young actor. He staggered just a tiny bit, absentmindedly clutching Lightning's arm so he could recompose himself. The soldier on the other hand remained rather stoic for a moment after watching, when it faded however a frown flashed over her face. "This is another challenge." was all she said, gripping her blade as Terra let go of her.

"That's true..." Terra murmured, looking back towards the woman's direction with a frown of his own. The image of her storming the heavens and demanding Torcrea cleanse her of her sins was troubling to say the least. At that a very determined look crossed the youngest member's face, a sudden fire in his eyes. "I don't like what she's talking about either. And since this is a challenge of the tower, there's only one thing we can do. Stop her." he stated a little more loudly, albeit not loud enough to alert the woman.

"You're probably right. The tower had to have brought us here for some reason, and this woman seems to have less than noble intentions," Alyssia affirmed, readying her weapon as well. Were they even still inside the tower for that matter? If they weren't, how were they supposed to get back? Ignoring the vast amount of problems presented with this particular trial for the moment, Alyssia burst out of hiding, Cerberus appearing near her in a blast of blazing shadows. Alyssia watched as the girl turned quickly, her scythe at the ready. "Sorry, but what you're planning isn't really acceptable," Alyssia called out challengingly.

"Wings? One of Torcrea's minions come to bring the fight to me? I'll destroy you before marching on Amoria," the girl replied, an angry gleam in her eye. A wicked smile formed upon her face as she entered a battle stance herself. "It's a sign!" she shouted. "He is afraid that I will bring ruination up him, and I will! How?! HOW COULD HE ABANDON US?! THEY DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE!!!" A beautiful violet aura surged into life around the girl. The fight was on.

Terra was quick to race out just past Alyssia for a moment, blade drawn and at the ready for anything. The woman spouted nonsense about Torcrea being afraid of her and the supposed ruination she would bring upon him. "Light abandons no one. Turn your back on it and it shall always be there to welcome you again with open arms." At this the young actor lowered his blade in such a way that it was still at the ready but also in a way that he meant no harm. "Will you ignore such truth and seek ruin on he that gave us everything?" he asked, determination still burning behind his eyes; if she refused and continued to attack them he would not hold back.

Lightning on the other hand remained quiet, allowing Terra to say what he wished. The boy was showing some spark, which also seemed vaguely familiar. At any rate she was rather impressed with him; such backbone was a refreshing change from how he had been acting during their bout with Odin.